Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (27 page)

Seth shook his head, all too able to imagine the
scene unfolding. “Did she make it to the door?”

“Aye, she did.” A smile tugged at the corner of
Gavin’s mouth, the tension between them starting to ease.

Seth couldn’t help but laugh out loud, knowing, all
too well, the wrath his friend in all likelihood had to endure.
“And you came through it without a mark on you? You truly are one
lucky bastard, aren’t ye? Time and again, I do not know how you
manage it.”

“Lucky, am I? Did ye know I had to threaten to tie
her to the bed?” Gavin shook his head, mindlessly brushing away the
black locks that had fallen into his eyes.

Seth just shook his head and smiled, feeling guilty
for doubting his friend. He ran his finger along the rim of the
glass, thinking. Finally, he said, “I appreciate you taking care of
her. I’m sorry if I came to unwarranted conclusions. Seems I’ve
been doing a lot of that with you as of late, and I’ve no
right.”

Gavin shrugged. “Apology accepted, but I dinna blame
ye, ye ken. She’s enough to drive any man to jealousy, and I cannot
say yer reaction is completely unjustified after my recent
confessions.” He took a long drink and then looked up at Seth. “The
only conclusion that is not warranted, is that ye’d think Phoebe
capable of not being faithful to ye. If ye owe anyone an apology,
it’d be her.”

“Aye. You’d be right on that account.” Seth took a
deep breath to try and steady his tumultuous emotions. “It seems I
cannot think straight when it comes to her. I know I should not
want or need her as desperately as I do, but the matter cannot be
helped, hard as I try.”

Gavin looked up at his friend, the truth of that
last statement hanging between them, not only for Seth, but Gavin
as well. It all became quite clear to Seth that if Gavin did indeed
love Phoebe as he himself did, then he could not blame the man for
his feelings, since they could not be helped. However, he also
realized that Gavin’s feelings, if truly like his own, would likely
never change. It was quite the predicament, and a conclusion Gavin
seemed to have come to a long time since if the grim look on his
friend’s face were anything to go by.

Breaking the silence, Gavin said, “Well, I’m glad to
see they didna keep ye long. Cursed cells make for a mighty
uncomfortable night’s sleep.” Gavin stood. “Listen, I’ve some
things to attend to. Shall I stop by the apothecary and pick ye up
a few things for her fever? I dinna think the herbals she’s taken
have much improved her condition. I can come back in the evening.
Give ye a chance to get some rest. I’ll also leave word for Gabriel
regarding all that’s happened.”

“Aye. That would be grand and much appreciated.
Tonight then.”

Chapter Forty Three

William was surprised to find Lord Gabriel Hughes
waiting for him at his office and even more surprised to see Lilly
was with him. “I hope you were not kept waiting long.” William took
a seat behind his desk, quickly taking in his guests, noting an
undercurrent of excitement between them.

“Not at all, Inspector. Lilly and I were discussing
Niles and the circumstances surrounding his death, and came across
some information you may find interesting.” Gabriel gestured
encouragingly toward the girl. “ Lilly?”

“Well, ye know how I told ye ‘bout Niles working for
the SS and trying to get information on the Cause?” Lilly blushed
just a little, crinkling her nose as if in apology. “It seems I
forgot to mention that Niles, once he’d decided to help the Cause,
scheduled to meet up with Moore and Clarke. Ye know them, aye? And
I can tell ye, he had that tinkering with him when he went to see
them— the one with the brass case. I think he may have betrayed SS
secrets.”

He’d be hard pressed to find anyone in all of London
who had not heard of Moore and Clarke. If Niles were indeed passing
on SS information, it would explain the list of agents he’d found
on the module, and could very well be a reason for his murder. He
did not think the SS took very kindly to betrayal. “Is that
all?”

“No. There’s more, ye see. Gabriel here mentioned
the man that’d been seen with poor Niles the night he was done for,
and it turns out I too had seen the man once or twice before.”

William sat forward in his chair, leaning his elbows
on his desk. “Would you mind describing him for me?”

Though William had Gabriel’s description of the man
in question, he wanted to see if Lilly’s portrayal would differ
much. William worried that her account may very well be tainted
after speaking with Gabriel, but it was still worth listening
to.

“Sure, best as I remember from the little I’d seen,
though I got a decent ‘nough look at him. He weren’t a whole lot
taller than meself, though he did ‘ave on a hat when I saw him,
making it a bit harder to judge, aye? And he had on eye specs, real
thick like. But the one thing that stood out was a red mark that
crept up just past the collar of his coat, though I couldn’t be
sure of which side it was on.”

William felt a glimmer of hope alight within him.
“Well now, that may indeed make it easier to identify the man. Is
there anything else?”

Gabriel cleared his throat, and William thought he
was looking rather grim. “There is just one more thing I thought
you should know. Phoebe mentioned to you that I was the only other
person with the code to her laboratory.”

William nodded, wondering where this was going. “She
did say the two of you were the only ones with a key and knowledge
of the code.”

“Niles was a good friend, and with my quarters being
conveniently located over Viridis, he had on more than a few
occasions paid me a visit. I’m terribly sorry to say, but I did not
keep Phoebe’s code or key locked away as I should have, but rather
left it in my desk drawer. It got me thinking, you see.”

“Yes. I’m afraid I do. Is your sister aware of this
fact?”

His shoulders slumped as he gave his head a shake.
“No, she isn’t.”

Chapter Forty Four

“Come on. Wake up, love. ‘Tis only a dream.”

Phoebe heard his familiar voice pulling her from
another nightmare, and opened her eyes to find Seth, lying next to
her, running his hand across her forehead to smooth out the lines
of worry.

“You
are
back. I was thinking I had imagined
it all.” She must have drifted off to sleep while Seth was speaking
to Gavin. She shifted towards his naked body, seeking out the
familiarity and comfort of his strong arms, in a desperate attempt
to erase all traces of the last twenty-four hours. She had thought
she would never see him again.

“No worries, love. I’m back.” He kissed the tip of
her nose and smiled. “Your fever seems to have broken. You’ve still
a bit of a temperature, but you’re not burning up like you were
before. You had us all terribly worried.”

“Well, at least I’ll be healthy for the wedding. I
should really contact the seamstress and see how the dress is
coming along.” Phoebe shifted so she could sit up, and Seth leaned
forward to give her a hand.

Seth cursed under his breath as he shook his head.
“Phoebe, my love, about the wedding…” He took a deep breath,
linking his fingers with hers. “Perhaps it’d be best if we
postponed the wedding until after the charges have been dropped.
They did release me, but I’m afraid the charges still stand, and
they could easily haul me back in at any moment, especially if
Victor manages to wield his influence. I spent most of the night
giving the situation plenty of thought, and I cannot marry you with
so many unknowns.”

Phoebe didn’t say anything. Wouldn’t even look at
him. She just stared ahead at the flames flickering in the
fireplace. What could she say? She was furious, hurt and broken,
feeling a fool for letting him her into her life again. Her heart
felt like it had sputtered to a stop, leaving her entire body
numb.

“Will ye not say something, my love?” He ran his
hand down her back and she shrugged it off.

Her voice was barely a whisper. “How can you do
this, Seth?”

“Och, love. This is not a decision I make likely,
and we
will
get married once everything has been sorted and
the charges dropped. However, it makes no sense for you to marry
me, only to become a widow at the ripe ole’ age of twenty-five. Or
worse, to have you spend your life alone, if I get thrown into a
cell for a life sentence.”

“I do not care, Seth. I said I’d marry you, and I’ll
be damned if I’m going to let Victor’s accusations get in the
way.”

“Phoebe, please try and see reason.” Her gaze
finally turned away from the fire, her eyes locking on his.

“Reason? You want
me
to see reason?” She
flung back the covers and hopped out of bed, spinning to face him
on wobbly legs. She was still wearing her breeches and the barely
buttoned blouse, her hair a wild tangle of dark curls.

“Phoebe, get back into bed. You’re still not well.”
He shifted to sit at the edge of the bed, looking ready to jump to
her aid at any moment.

“Did I not ask you to leave Victor alone? Why could
you not have listened to me? Was it too much to ask?”

“Phoebe, I’m sorry. I only did what I thought was
best.” He stood up and reached out to her, but she slapped his hand
away. She would not let him quell her anger or try to placate
her.

“What you thought was best? And what about what
I
thought? Did that not matter? The only thing you could
think of was your pride.”

“Phoebe, you’re being unreasonable.”

She wanted to scream and stomp her feet, she was so
furious. “Unreasonable, is it? I was willing to forgive you for
attacking Victor and suffer the consequences but now—
now
—
I’m
the one being unreasonable?
And
you don’t want to
get married?”

He grabbed both her arms, ignoring her struggles,
which were weak from the fever, frustrating her further, but when
he spoke, his voice was gentle. “Phoebe, I want nothing more than
to marry you. You must know that. But how can I in good conscience
do that, when there’s a chance I could hang or spend the rest of my
days locked away?”

He pulled her into his arms and she let him hold her
in a tight embrace, the reality of the matter too much to bear. He
kissed the top of her head, and murmured, “I love you. More than
anything in this world, more than life itself, I love you,
a
ghaoil
.”

“Then marry me, and let Victor be damned.” She
looked up at him, the tears now running down her cheeks.

“Come back to bed my love. You should be resting. I
should not have mentioned the postponing the wedding when you still
aren’t well”

He tried to steer her towards the bed, but she’d had
enough and was not going. “Not until you say you’ll marry me.”

“I
will
marry you, once the charges are
dismissed. Now please, Phoebe, quit being so stubborn and get back
into bed. I cannot believe we’re having this argument. ‘Tis insane,
aye?”

She caught his eyes drift to her half buttoned
shirt, lingering on her bare skin. Ignoring it, she said through
gritted teeth, “So now I’m stubborn? She planted her hands on her
hips, her anger a streak of red.

“Are you denying it?”

His question caught her off guard. Giving it some
thought, she said, “All right then. I’m stubborn.” The admission
seemed to momentarily calm her. “It still doesn’t change
anything.”

“You are right, my dear. You being the most stubborn
creature to ever grace the earth’s surface changes nothing. Now
could you do me the great favor of slipping into something more
decent, because I’m ready to rip that shirt from your body and burn
the cursed thing.”

Despite her anger, her frustration and the fact that
she was barely keeping herself upright, Phoebe couldn’t quite keep
her lip from curling up in a smile. He’d be mistaken to think it
for humor, though. “Fine. Here you are then.” She grabbed her shirt
with two hands and yanked, the few buttons keeping the shirt
together, coming loose with little effort. She tossed him the
shirt, and he caught it, his eyes widening, his face blushing
crimson.

Stubborn, was she? Infuriating? Unreasonable?
“Hmpf!” While Seth stared at her, frozen in place, she undid her
breeches, and wriggled out of them.

“
Phoebe.
” He pleaded with her.

She tossed him the breeches, so he stood there
holding her pile of clothes. “Burn them, then!”

“Phoebe, this is insane.”

Insane, was it? Another one for her list. Completely
naked, she spun toward her around her wardrobe. She took all of two
steps when Seth pulled her around into his arms and kissed her in a
most thorough manner— not to say she returned his affections. He
slowly pulled away, and looked at her.

She raised an eyebrow in question. “Are you done
then?”

A smile split his face ear to ear, his laugh barely
contained, leaving her more than a little confused. “Did you know,
I had completely forgotten how ye get when you’re not feeling well.
Och, love, and here I was trying to reason with ye. Come, let’s get
you into some warm clothes and back into bed.”

Her head spun, leaving her dizzy on her feet. The
room was suddenly hot and stuffy, and a fine dew broke out on her
skin, even though it was covered in gooseflesh. Seth was at her
wardrobe rummaging around for anything resembling a nightgown,
finally returning victorious, garment in hand.

“You’ll catch your death standing here naked like
that. Look at you. You’re all chilled.” He had her dressed and in
bed in a matter of minutes, buried under the covers, his naked body
pressed up against her for warmth.

Her body temperature continued to fluctuate wildly,
from hot and sweating to freezing cold and unable to get warm. Her
throat ached so much it was difficult to swallow— no doubt aided to
its current condition by all the yelling she had just
done
.